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United States News Title: Black student: Confederate flag 'honors my heritage' COLUMBIA, S.C. (WRDW) -- Since the shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, one symbol has dominated the conversation across the nation. As debate continues on the Confederate battle flag, a local student is giving his opinion. As a Black-American, as he calls himself, his take on the rebel flag might surprise you. North Augusta High School graduate Byron Thomas is now a senior at the University of South Carolina. When asked if he was offended by the Confederate flag, Thomas said, "No, I am not offended by the Confederate flag, because truthfully I refuse to allow a symbol or word offend me. I'm bigger than that." It's an opinion that surprises many, sometimes even his family, but for Byron, it's an opinion he's held for many years. News 12 interviewed him back in 2011 when he caught national attention for hanging the Confederate flag in his dorm. "I see it as this flag is not a racist thing but my southern pride and heritage," he told News 12 in 2011. Three years later, his beliefs are still the same. "Why have you been able to remain so staunch in your beliefs?" News 12's Christie Ethridge asked. "Well, because I'm an American citizen, and I'm entitled to my beliefs because this is what makes our country so awesome," he said. It also has a personal peg for him. Thomas' ancestor Benjamin Thomas was a cook for the South Carolina regiment in the Confederate Army. "I honor my heritage. I am not honoring anyone's hate speech," he said. It's a view some have a hard time understanding when pictures like this show the accused killer, Dylan Roof, posing next to a symbol that means something different depending on who's looking. "I see my confederate flag the way I see it, and I refuse to allow people to say that my flag is racist because I have no racist bone in my body, nor am I trying to use my flag to oppress people," Thomas said. In fact, it's just the opposite. Thomas says by taking ownership of the flag, he's taking away its negative power so people can unite. "I also ask people not to just condemn everyone with the Confederate flag as a racist, because a lot of people that do have a Confederate flag have a great hearts. They reached out to me and told me that they're afraid to display their Confederate flag because now when people see them, they might associate them with Dylan's actions," he said. His remains flying. "It's in my room with my American flag and South Carolina flag. So, any flag that I support is hanging up in my room," Thomas said. Byron says he completely understands why others have a different opinion than his, and he says he respects that. "Throughout history people have used the Confederate flag as a symbol of hate, and I do understand a lot of blacks and people that are not even black are offended by the Confederate flag. So, I understand their cries," he said. Contrary to what you might think, Byron thinks the flag on Statehouse grounds should come down. He says he wants South Carolina to move forward united, and to do that, the flag needs to come down. He said he'll keep his up in the privacy of his own home. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#1. To: Gatlin (#0)
He is a brave young man,but being black he is is serious danger of being severely beaten or even killed for not following the crowd in their march for "free stuff".
Why is democracy held in such high esteem when it’s the enemy of the minority and makes all rights relative to the dictates of the majority? (Ron Paul,2012)
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